Chapter 49 - Better Choices
Charlene blinked in shock, and then hopped up and snatched the contract and marriage certificate away from Gabriella and started flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for and cried, "Aha!"
"Jason! No matter what mother says," Charlene said triumphantly as she wagged the sheaf of papers at Fornasia, "Do not have sex with her unless you absolutely want her as your wife. Until you do, you still have the option to have the marriage annulled!"
Fornasia closed her legs and turned on her side seductively as she purred, "I saw how you were staring at me as I walked up to the house, Jason Galdren, I know you find me attractive. I also know that you like older women, or you wouldn't have gotten your mother and older sisters pregnant."
"How do you know about that," Jason growled, "That is private family business..."
"Please," Fornasia purred smugly, "I am your wife. Of course Connor had to disclose your incestuous indiscretions to me as part of our marriage alliance and partnership."
"That's funny," Jason retorted thoughtfully, "Because weren't Llewyn and Beatrise born in 1983, and Jasmine and Rachelle in 1987? And yet, I don't remember consummating our marriage or getting you pregnant."
"You are correct," Fornasia answered with a nod though she was still smirking arrogantly, "However, the contract stipulated that until such time as you consummated our marriage, I may seek my marital due from any relative willing to perform such an act with me. Hence..."
"My father has been having sex with you on a regular basis," Jason answered for her.
"He thought it only fair since you were fucking his wife without his consent," Fornasia confirmed with a nod, "Well, one of his many, many wives. You know that is why he is never around right? It has nothing to do with work..."
"This is all a diversion designed to infuriate and distract you Jason," Sable mused half to herself, "She's trying to provoke all of us... Why?"
Fornasia's smirk fell as Sable turned to Charlene and asked, "You and mother have mentioned a partnership tied to this marriage alliance several times, but no one has said what that partnership is. Can you find out what it is?"
Charlene nodded and began flipping through the paperwork. It was toward the end, in the final pages that her mouth fell open and she answered, "Jason, your father and our mother are joint partners in a nightclub called 'The Volton'. It's net profits are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. You and mother are very very rich. We... are... very very rich!"
"No, I am very very rich," Fornasia corrected as she sat up and crossed her legs, deciding she would explain, "You are correct though, if Jason consummates our marriage then we will be very rich. You see, even though your father backed my aspirations to start this business, he and you, Jason, have never worked to make it profitable. I did that. However, in my haste to accept your fathers money I failed to realize that by his insisting that I marry you, that I would then be subject to half my wealth being yours, and if we have any offspring they will inherit one-hundred percent of all my hard work and returns to being a Galdren Gardens Family Farm business. So, as I see it, I have been more than generous. I gave your father five Galdren/Korrapati heirs. I have more than enough money to buy out the G.G.F.F. stake in my business, and if you don't want me as your wife then we can get it annulled and our ties are severed completely."
"So what is it that you want? Exactly," Jason asked as he ogled Fornasia from top to bottom.
"I want my freedom," She answered, "Freedom from you. From your father. From my life. I want the money I have worked for and invested to be mine, and nobody else's."
"Is that it," Jason asked in a voice that he couldn't keep from reflecting his disapproval, "I can understand you wanting to be free of me. For the last seven years you have been tied and held hostage to a boy that knew nothing of what was transpiring, and to add salt to the wound he fell in love with your daughters and not you. I can see where there would be some resentment there. I can also understand your resentment towards my father and this contract. However, what I don't understand is how you could spend all this time away from your own children. They are the ones that love you... unreservedly. Do they mean anything to you at all? Or, are they just collateral damage from the lifestyle you choose to lead?"
"I love my children," She admitted in a whisper as she looked down at her own crossed legs and examined the lines of her hands, "I love them all more than they will ever know. They are why I work so hard..."
"And yet," Jason interrupted as he moved to sit down on the bed in front of Fornasia, "They will never love you for all the work you've done for them while away for days, months, and years at a time. The only thing they know about you is that you are gone. They don't know you. How could they possibly love you, or even be grateful for all the sacrifices you made. Instead, Gabriella and Porsche are here... doing your job. To your youngest children, they are their mothers, not you."
"So I am a failure," She mumbled as tears began slowly rolling down her cheeks.
"No," Jason replied warmly with a smile that could be heard as he leaned in and put his hand on hers, "You're not a failure. Look around you. We are all here... for you. Your daughter's, your son's, they are all still here waiting for you to come home."
"So then," She sniffled as she used her free hand to wipe away her tears before Porsche left and returned with kleenex, "What would you have me do?"
Jason looked up at Charlene and then over to Gabriella. They met his gaze. Gabriella looked apprehensive and uncertain, but Charlene smiled at him reassuringly and nodded as she purred, "I more than anyone know the value of second chances and redemption. Nothing is happening like it did in my dream now. This is a whole new story. One that we can write together, with love and truth and trust as it's core..."
"Did you know in your premonition that your mother was my first wife as well," Jason asked Charlene in a half joking laugh.